STARTING A HEALTH JOURNEY + WATER INTAKE
March 8th, 9 am EST
Article by Ashley
If you’re looking for a place to start, start with water.
The amount of information regarding health that spreads across every social media platform, seems vast and can be overwhelming. If you’re thinking that you want to make some changes in your life, ones that are centered around health and wellness, you may find yourself looking in several different directions. You may run to YouTube and search “what I eat in a day” or “at-home workouts”. I know that’s what I did. Maybe that’s because there’s a societal instinct that tells us the first thing we should change is our diet and implement a workout routine because the appearance of our body is what makes us healthy. And that simply isn’t true. While diet and exercise are important parts of a lifestyle change, I wonder if that’s the best start for each individual. I wish I would have started from the place I found myself in after diet and exercise weren’t working.
I want to tell you today that health is deeper than physical appearance. That’s why when you see the word health, wellness follows behind it. Health is Wellness! If you’re feeling stuck, if you’ve been unsuccessful in starting your health journey and are looking looking for a place to start, start with water. It sounds so simple and guess what, it really is! It’s tangible, it’s important, and it’s revealing. Maybe it’s helpful to remember that water is the core of the human body. A quote I keep close to my heart is, “wherever there is water, there is life”.
Why water?
We’ve all probably heard from a doctor that we should be drinking at least eight glasses of water each day. When I was little, I hated water and there was nothing anyone could do to change that. Just recently, I’ve come to realize just how important water is. It’s opened up a whole world before me and has created immeasurable space to learn about myself. I’m positive it can do the same for you.
If you take the time to think deeply about your health goals, maybe you’ll notice that where you feel the most discomfort can actually be healed with an increased intake of water. Water has the potential to keep every system in your body operating correctly. Some of your health concerns may be attributed to your water intake. Did you know that water aids in digestion, flushes toxins, regulates the body’s temperature, and carries oxygen as well at vital nutrients to your cells?
The truth about water intake…
Running it back to the idea of drinking eight glasses a day — think of that idea as more of a common ground and less of a rule or order. There is also is such a thing as drinking too much water, which is something no one really talks about. The amount of water that should be consumed will look different for each person. It’s customizable and extremely personal just as your health journey should be. That brings me to my last point.
Do what feels right…
Maybe you’ll drink more water if you drink from the same glass all day. Maybe you’ll drink more from a water bottle. You may find that chugging a gallon of water when you first wake up does wonders for your body or you may find that it makes you feel stiff and bloated. The most important part to keep in mind, is that this journey is about you. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know your body. So do your research, run your tests, and stay curious. Eventually, you’ll see you’ve laid a solid foundation than can be built upon.
